Separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah put under house arrest

SRINAGAR: Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was today put under house arrest again ahead of Friday prayers.

A police party visited the Sanat Nagar residence of Shah, the chairman of Democratic Freedom Party, this morning and asked him to stay indoors, officials said.

Shah, who parted ways with moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference last year and formed a separate unit, was not allowed to go for Friday prayers, a spokesman of Shah's party said.

Hardline Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani also continued to be under house arrest.

Several other separatist leaders including moderate Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik were put under house arrest yesterday but were released within couple of hours.

The top separatist leaders have received an invite from Pakistan High Commission in Delhi for a reception being hosted in the honour of National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz who is scheduled to arrive in Delhi to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Sunday.

The Pakistan High Commission's invitation to Geelani and other separatist leaders to meet Aziz has upset New Delhi but Pakistan has stuck to the line that such meetings were "routine".